Customer Reviews

So Amazing...An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(31)

 

 

I see lots of reviews for this one!! I think one thing that needs to be put in perspective is that this is a tribute cd of songs covered by some of the artists that were dear & true to Luther. The songs they sing are their gift to the great talent that was Luther Vandross! I think all the songs are great, but the standouts to me are most definitely USHER's Superstar & DONNA SUMMER's Power of Love!! The latter is really the only uplifting joyful song on here....I'd like to believe that Luther would particularly have loved this version simply because it is a well crafted vocal & produced song and it makes ya wanna dance!! Beautiful... OH Mr Clive D, Where are the remixes of Power of Love for the public to buy!! We love it!!

Don't get me wrong, I really like this CD and some of the tracks are truly outstanding. But despite a stellar lineup of the cream of the R&B crop, no one sings Luther better than the man himself.

That being said, some tracks are better than others, and the album is not consistent. Here are my impressions of each track:

Mary J. Blige's "Never Too Much" - I love what Blige has done on this song. She really has captured the spirit of the song and does a great job of it.

Usher's "Superstar" - I really wish that they had included Ruben Studdard's version of this song on this album. He did it so well, and Usher's version lacks the same spirit. It's good, but not as good as Ruben's.

Fantasia's "'Til My Baby Comes Home" - Fantasia sings her tail off on this one, and I think it may be one of the best on the album. She takes the song to church and it works really, really well. This one should be released as a single. I think it would be a hit.

Beyonce & Stevie Wonder's "So Amazing" - I wasn't crazy about this song the first time I heard it, but after several times through, I realize that I was totally wrong. Beyonce has a beautiful voice, and Stevie is, well, Stevie. I love the harp on it and the harmonies at the end.

Aretha Franklin's "A House Is Not A Home" - Aretha oversings this Luther classic, and doesn't quite pull it off.

Donna Summer's "Power of Love" - I like this. Maybe it's because I like Donna Summer... a lot, but this one is fun. It's totally different from Luther's, and maybe that's why it works for me. The more I listen to this, the better I like it.

Alicia Keys & Jermaine Paul's "If The World Were Mine" - This is truly stunning. These two really sound great together, and the emotion is palpable. This is one of my favorites.

Elton John and Luther Vandross's "Anyone Who Had A Heart" - Why, why, why?

Celine Dion's "Dance With My Father" - I love this song and Celine's version is okay but totally lacks the soul that made Luther's version "so amazing." The first time I ever heard this song was when Idol's Tamyra Gray sang it on Boston Public. Her version is much better than Celine's, and it's too bad they didn't use it. But I suppose they couldn't have the album over-run with Idols (which is probably why Ruben was excluded!).

Wyclef Jean takes risks on "Always and Forever" - This is the one they should have had Usher sing. I really didn't "get" this one at all. That being said, Wyclef does a good job on the song, it's just not right for this album.

Babyface's "If Only For One Night" - Now this is more like it. He sings the song as it is supposed to be sung and it works well. His voice is smooth as silk, and I love the interpretation.

Patti Labelle "Here & Now" - I really love this song and Patti does a good job with it. I think Usher might have done this one better though. But, Patti's good and she was a close friend and had to sing something, right?

John Legend's "Love Won't Let Me Wait" - Outstanding! John Legend really is becoming a legend, and may end up in the same league with Luther one day. This arrangement is spectacular, and his vocals bring tears to my eyes. I listen to this over and over, and have deemed it my favorite (at least today!)

Angie Stone's "Since I Lost My Baby" - This one is nice too, no easy trick when you have the bad fortune to follow John Legend.

Jamie Foxx's "Creepin'" - This is pretty good, actually. I didn't know he could sing this well, and I was impressed. Good song choice too. All in all, a nice way to end the album.

Edited on 9/30: Initially, I was somewhat less than enthused, but you know what? After having listened to this CD several times through, I "get it." It was done as a tribute with each artist interpreting the songs in his or her own style. It's okay that they don't sound like Luther. No one really can. But these songs are timeless and very special, and I would recommend this CD to any love of this wonderful and beloved singer. IF I could change from 3 to 4 stars, I would, but alas, once the stars are chosen, it's too late.

I just love this album. Luther must have planned this on his own because he would be so proud of the effort. Once again, Clive knows how to get it done. I don't know what some of these deaf folks are hearing, but the vocals by Donna, Angie, Alicia, Patti and Stevie are so pleasing to the ear. Buy the CD and enjoy it. Those who don't get the concept, a tribute album, go stick your negative vibes some place else. Try mastering the English language before writing negative things with such poor grammar. It gives you no credibility. Why would anyone heed the advise of an illiterate?

Great work by all these SUPERSTARS, especially Donna, Patti and Stevie. Aretha and Elton you did just fine, so don't let these fools put you down. Like you all really care anyway..ha ha! Great album, excellent song selections and fantastic singers all the way through it!

to some of the reviewers of this album who gave it poor to mediocre reviews and may have indicated that the album should have been recorded by "real" singers, not "performers" I would like to ask you, "Who are Patti Labelle, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder and Donna Summer?" If not some of the best artists that ever graced our ears and most legends in their own right. The producers could not have selected a better ensemble to pay tribute to one of the best R&B singers ever. This album is not a copycat version of Luther's songs. It would have been ridiculous to sing them exactly as he did. All of the artists on the album have their own unique style and have paid tribute to Luther respectfully and in their own way. Granted, some artists do not succeed in this effort but many do and do it very well - especially the artists listed above. One of the most noteworthy efforts in this collection is that of Donna Summer's version of Power of Love which she definitely made her own and updated it to today's sound. This will most likely be the biggest hit in this entire collection - what a voice!. All in all, the album is very much worth listening to with open ears.

First of all I loved the album. It is human nature to elevate people or make them larger than they were after death. Luther was a great singer, but it is very unfortunate that many people are using this space to put down any artists that are singing Luther's songs. Luther made a career of singing other people's songs. Making the statement (made by several wanna be reviewers) that there is only one Luther and no one else can sing his songs is ridiculous. The truth of the matter is that the majority of stars on this album have been way more successful and sold many more albums than the great Luther Vandross.

All these artists can flat out sing. They are not here trying to out perform Luther. They are singing to pay tribute to him. Stop critizing Aretha, Elton, Donna, etc. Stop saying who should be on the album and who should not be on it. Clive Davis is quite the record producer and he doesn't need your help. Someone even said that Patti should have given a better effort. Please, she did an unbelievable job. She was his best friend for forty years and he idolized her, so what you think she didn't try.

The negative people will always live their lives that way, but I prefer to enjoy the positive efforts. If you are a true R&B fan, there is no way that you could be disappointed in this album. It includes great songs by great artists, just the way Luther would have wanted it.

Other reviewers are being WAY too hard on this CD - did they even HEAR the same CD I bought? Upon first listen, you can literally HEAR the love & respect imbued in the voices of those who pay tribute to the late, great Luther - sure, some of the tracks are better than others, but there isn't really a bad apple in the bunch. My favorite heart-felt and soaring vocal performances include contributions by DONNA SUMMER (her house cover of POWER OF LOVE deserves to be a huge pop/dance hit, where are the remixes, hello?! Where is Donna's new full-length CD?!), MARY BLIGE, ARETHA, PATTI LABELLE, JOH LEGEND, and surprisingly even JAMIE FOXX, who turns in a very credible remake of Stevie's "CREEPIN'" that establishes him as one of the very few actors who could easily crossover to major R&B success once his solo album drops later this year (well, he actually released PEEP THIS his true debut in '94, but that's another story...) - David Nathan's loving liner notes are a nice touch and, heck, even the cover photo of Luther is one of the most flattering ever. Bottom line: Luther is gone, so this will have to suffice - I just hope Clive Davis and J Records (and/or Epic?) unearths a b-side/rarities collection of unheard Luther tracks from the vaults - there MUST be something, anything?

For the most part, "So Amazing An All Star Tribute to Luther Vandross" gives unassailable proof that the person best fitted to sing a Luther Vandross song is Mr. Vandross himself. For all the talent involved, "So Amazing" falls short as an appropriate tribute, and it seems more interested in SoundScan sales than paying respects to one of the greatest singers of our generation. The songs are covered by a mix of experienced veterans and flavor-of-the-month upstarts. None of the singers from either category hits a home run. Usher sounds wet behind the ears with an all-too-safe version of "Superstar." Mary J. Blige gives a serviceable street edge to "Never Too Much," which isn't quite enough. Beyonce and Stevie Wonder sound oddly detached and uninvolved in their duet "So Amazing," and newbies John Legend and Jamie Foxx haven't paid enough dues to make entirely convincing interpretations of "Love Won't Let Me Wait" and "Creepin," respectively. The veterans fare better, but not by much. Donna Summer's re-working of "Power of Love" is a nice touch, and I wouldn't want anyone other than Patti Labelle covering "Here and Now." And the Queen? I love Aretha, but let's be frank: her voice isn't what it used to be. Yet, she makes the best of what's left of her regal pipes on the Bacharach classic "A House Is Not a Home." But overall, "So Amazing" is a timid, by-the-book project that's averse to any risk. You wait for one of these singers to take one of these songs, grab it by the throat, and give it new life. Alas, it never happens.

Please check out this press release. It says what needs to be said by those that know.
Thank You


All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross Sees Oh 'So Amazing' Debut!

NEW YORK, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- With 103,629 units scanned, the J Records' release of So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross bows in at #4 on this week's Top 200 Albums chart, making it the highest debut and the highest number of units sold in its first week for a tribute album in Nielson SoundScan history.

Previously the highest debut was from The Eagles' Common Thread, which was released in October 2003 and featured a variety of country artists including Travis Tritt, Clint Black, Alan Jackson and other. The title debuted at #10 with 64,000 units sold in its first week.

The high chart position is due in part to the remarkable marketing and TV campaign along with the star-studded line-up of performers on this tribute album. On the day of the album release, millions watched Oprah as she declared Luther Vandross "a musical great" with soul-stirring performances by Usher and Patti LaBelle on the "Queen of Daytime"'s 20th season premiere week. Other TV outlets that built anticipation for the release were the week-long tribute to Vandross on The Insider and Entertainment Tonight as well as a performance by LaBelle on CBS's Early Show on 9/22. The results of this exposure was a surge in sales, most notably on Amazon where immediately after Oprah aired, So Amazing shot up on their daily charts from #32 to #7.

In addition to the TV campaign, throngs of critics weighed in on the release. Atlanta Journal Constitution said "WOW," while Milwaukee Journal Sentinel stated So Amazing has a "dream team of soul stars ... " Billboard proclaimed the performances on the album "would make Vandross wave his hands in the air with pride."

This landmark debut would not have been possible if it wasn't for the bevy of superstars that contributed their vocal rendition of the songs that Luther Vandross made famous. Artists from Alicia Keys to Sir Elton John jumped at the opportunity to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime tribute. One of Vandross' closest friends, Aretha Franklin, states: "It is an honor to sing 'A House Is Not A Home' for the Luther tribute album -- I don't think anyone will ever sing it again without thinking of Luther Vandross. The world and Luther had a love affair going on; he will be remembered for generations to come." Sir Elton John, who recorded "Anyone Who Had A Heart" to create the album's duet with Luther's original vocals, says Vandross "will always be one of the greatest true soul artists. To be able to do this magnificent song -- one of the all time classics -- with Luther was very bittersweet."

Artists and songs featured on So Amazing include: Mary J. Blige ("Never Too Much"), Aretha Franklin ("A House Is Not A Home"), Usher ("Superstar"), Beyonce & Stevie Wonder ("So Amazing"), Alicia Keys ("If This World Was Mine" -- duet with Jermaine Paul), Donna Summer ("Power of Love"), Celine Dion ("Dance With My Father"), Patti LaBelle ("Here and Now"), Jamie Foxx ("Creepin"), Elton John ("Anyone Who Had A Heart" -- duet with Luther's original vocals), Fantasia ("Til My Baby Comes Home"), John Legend ("Love Won't Let Me Wait"), Babyface ("If Only For One Night"), Angie Stone ("Since I Lost my baby") and Wyclef Jean ("Always and Forever").

Luther Vandross was undeniably one of the most significant balladeers of our time. Since the 1981 platinum-selling release of Never Too Much, Luther's recording career spanned over two decades and resulted in a lifetime of chart- topping hits. Through the 1980's, he recorded a string of platinum albums, including Forever, For Always, For Love, Busy Body and The Night I Fell In Love. He scored his first Grammy Award in 1989 with "Here And Now." His last studio album, 2003's Dance With My Father, received 4 Grammy Awards (including Song of the Year for the title song "Dance With My Father") and has generated worldwide sales exceeding 3 million copies. Collectively, Luther's body of work has sold in excess of 30 million records worldwide, winning eight Grammy Awards, numerous Soul Train, BET, NAACP Image Awards and American Music Awards. Vandross died on July 1, 2005 from complications from the stroke he suffered in 2003. He was 54.

I am very pleased with this cd. Superstars that make tribute to a fantastic voice and music! My personal favorite is without doubt Donna Summer's "The Power of Love" . It is a really fresh and outstanding track. The only thing is that the version is too short! Where are the remixes??!!!